Lots of moms would agree that the kitchen is one of the busiest parts of the house. And while cooking and preparing food alone is already a daunting task, cleaning the kitchen would be a lot more challenging. Not to mention also your kitchen fixtures, furniture, and kitchen walls that need cleaning as well. To help you with some useful cleaning tips, below, I have listed some fantastic ways to clean your dirty kitchen quickly.

Clean your kitchen from top to bottom

It is still best to follow the old rule when it comes to cleaning your kitchen by cleaning it from top to bottom and front to back. This approach has already proven to save you time and avoid doubling up your cleaning. For example, cleaning the counter without cleaning the top of the stove would only cause you to clean the counter again since debris will most likely fall. I recommend cleaning your ceiling and corners of walls first with a dust mop. Don’t forget to clean the wall against grease, grime, and spilled food.

Also read: 5 tips for cleaning your house in Melbourne

Use hot water to clean your dishes easily

Having a sink full of dishes can be tiring to look at, but the real challenge is when you try to scrub the food out from them. Scrubbing the food and grease off the dishes is both challenging and time-consuming. To make it easier, fill your sink with hot water together with a squirt of liquid dishwashing soap. Let your dishes soak for at least 15 minutes, so the food and grease would lose its grip. Using this cleaning tip, you can easily wash your dishes with ease.

Use baking soda and vinegar to make your sink shine again

Having a shiny kitchen sink is an excellent motivator for most moms since it makes your kitchen look very clean. To easily remove stains from the sink, apply baking soda on the sink’s surface using a damp sponge. It can effectively remove stains without the need for scratching the sink’s surface. Thoroughly wash the sink with water to remove the baking soda then spray vinegar all over the sink to dissolve calcium deposits. Rinse the sink again with water, and you’ll be surprised to see that your sink will shine again like new. 

Use baking soda and vinegar to clean your kitchen tiles

A lot of cleaning experts say that you can clean your entire house as long as you have your baking soda on your side. And that also includes not just your bathroom tiles but your kitchen tiles as well. The grout between the tiles will become discolored and look dirty as time passes by, and it will start to become sore to the eyes. To clean it easily, combine your baking soda with a little bit of water to create a paste and apply it all over the tiles and the grout. Let the paste sit in for at least 10 minutes before spraying the vinegar. Scrub the tiles and grout using a toothbrush to remove all the stains to make it look clean and fresh.

Must read: 5 tips to keeping your home clean

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Almost every woman has come across on this trend that has been around for a while, hair rebonding. After all, a woman’s hair is her crowning glory. However, during a woman’s pregnancy, she experiences hormonal imbalance that affects the thickness of the hair. And due to this instance, many pregnant moms are thinking of hair rebonding. But the question is, is rebond safe during pregnancy?

Can you rebond your hair during the pregnancy period?

Hair rebonding is a type of hair styling that effectively straightens the hair. However, the process uses certain chemicals, as well as heat, to relax the cells in the hair. After applying the chemical relaxant along the entire length of the hair for an hour, your hair will be washed and blow-dried. However, the procedure doesn’t end there. The Keratin lotion must be applied to the hair that moisturizes, manages frizz, and de-tangles your hair before it becomes straight. And finally, hair serum is used, before the hair is straightened with a hair straightener again. Those are the necessary process of hair rebonding. And as mentioned earlier, it involves a lot of chemicals such as relaxants and creams to alter the structure of your hair to make it look straight.

Even they only apply those chemicals along the length of your hair; it’s still possible that these chemicals may come in contact with your scalp. It creates an opening for these chemicals to enter your bloodstream and eventually reach your baby through the placenta. Furthermore, some hair relaxants contain a chemical that is called Lye. It can cause skin irritations, thus making it unsafe for a pregnant mom’s sensitive skin. Also, some chemical relaxants and lotions have an overpowering smell. It irritates the respiratory tract and causes you to feel nauseated.

Good read: What to do and what not to do while pregnant

Hair rebonding is not completely risky as long as you go to a well-known salon. Make sure also that your chosen stylist is well experienced and a professional and has done a lot of hair rebonding before. However, health experts recommend being cautious about hair rebonding, especially during pregnancy. It is to prevent any health issues in your baby in the future. Also, you are experiencing hormonal imbalance, and your hair might not behave as it used to be, so we don’t advise doing hair rebond while pregnant.

What are the alternatives for a hair rebond that is safe during pregnancy?

If you wish not to have a bad hair day during your pregnancy, you can always opt for safe hairstyling that doesn’t use Lye chemicals. Or you can also use an electric hair straightener or clip-on hair extensions as a temporary alternative to hair rebonding. 

Also read: 5 Refreshing Your Hairstyle Suggestions

Final Thought

Until now, there’s still no medical test that proves getting a rebond while pregnant is not safe. But, it is better to consult your doctor first for medical advice. And if he or she allows it, make sure that the salon you choose is clean, hygienic, and well-ventilated.

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As I have shared with you 5 Dishes Mush Masarap Dishes With Jolly Mushrooms, I realized how much we love mushrooms na. Parang tuwing mag iisip ako ng lulutuin, ang unang ingredients na naiisip ko is mushroom. Now I am more excited to cook for my family because of my new found kusina kakampi.

Keeping up with the theme from my last post, here are the 5 Reasons Why We Love Jolly Mushrooms:

Mush-delicious ang ulam. Tried and tested, mas naging malasa talaga ang ulam. My kids can’t get enough too. I have to be honest, they prefer the stem and pieces vs. whole mushrooms.

Jolly Mushrooms is versatile, parang kahit saan namin ilagay pwede. We add it to our pancit, with our sopas, sa ulam, and with our pasta. And you can even serve it on its own, add ka lang ng freshly ground pepper and salt, ulam na! TIP: If you want bigger mushroom, buy the biggest can, if you want smaller, buy the smaller one (smaller than 400 grams).

Readily available. Whenever I crave something, there’s always a can of Jolly Mushrooms sa pantry namin. So our grocery list is never complete without Jolly Mushrooms talaga. We usually buy Jolly Pieces and Stems Mushrooms kase yan na talaga ang madalas naming gamitin.

Jolly Mushrooms is a good fiber source. Fiber in our diet is very important, especially sa digestion natin. Adding mushrooms to our dishes assures me that we are getting additional fiber in our system.

Easy to prepare and cook. I guess this is the best thing about Jolly mushrooms. I love that it has easy to open can feature and I love how easy it is to cook. It does not add more cooking time sa aking pagluluto.

If your family loves mushroom too and if you want more mush masarap na recipes using Jolly Mushroom, follow Jolly Eats on their Facebook page (https://web.facebook.com/JollyFoods/). Subscribe din kayo sa Jolly Eats Youtube Channel.

Tag us (@mommypehpot and @jollyeats) kapag nag upload kayo ng Jolly mushrooms recipes nyo ha.

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When it comes to cooking, it is essential to know some cooking hacks at home that you can use to either speed up your cooking prep, keep your greens fresher for an extended period, and make the food tastier. While having your unique style in keeping things in your kitchen, it wouldn’t hurt to have a couple of useful hacks on hand, especially this coming holiday season. And besides, pulling up a recipe that eats a lot of time and needs considerable effort to complete can sometimes discouraging, so learning some kitchen hacks can be super useful. 

Below we have listed some straightforward kitchen hacks that you are going to wish that you should have known earlier.

Hack #1 Use a paper towel to keep your greens fresh 

There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing your greens wilting even after keeping it on your fridge. To make your greens last for an extended period, wrap them with a paper towel and place them in a plastic container. The paper towel is handy for absorbing excess moisture coming from your greens while the container prevents your greens from getting crushed. 

Also read: Practical Cooking Tip: Vegetable Blanching

Hack #2 Use marshmallow to keep your brown sugar soft

For those who love to bake, keeping brown sugar soft at all times is quite challenging, especially if you don’t have the proper storage for it. To ensure that the sugar doesn’t harden, store it in an airtight container and put at least two pieces of marshmallow on top of it. You could also use a slice of bread as an excellent alternative to marshmallow. It will keep your sugar soft and ensure it doesn’t harden over time.

Hack #3 Use the oven for cooking hard boil eggs

If you haven’t mastered the boiling water method, then using the oven to cook hard boil eggs is an excellent alternative, especially if you have to boil a lot of eggs at the same time hard. To do this trick, heat the eggs in the oven for at least 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Then gently submerge the eggs in ice water for another 10 minutes.

Good read: 5 Reasons Why Instant Pot Is The Best Slow Cooker

Hack #4 Use a dry towel to dry your fish before cooking

To cook the fish perfectly can be tricky, especially if you want the browning to stand out. One way to get it right is by patting your fish dry using a paper towel before putting the fish on the hot pan. The paper towel removes the excess moisture from the fish that prevents it from browning. By getting rid of the wetness of your fish, it makes the browning to stand out much easier.

Hack #5 Use a plastic or metal container to peel garlic cloves quickly and easily

We all know that peeling garlic can be incredibly time-consuming, especially if you have to peel lots of it. To easily peel garlic gloves quickly, break the bulb of garlic into individual cloves, then place them into a plastic or metal container and vigorously shake the garlic. If cloves are still difficult to release, shake longer and more vigorously. 

Knowing these simple yet straightforward kitchen hacks can be very useful. Try it and you’ll surely appreciate them.

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A bathroom is a fantastic part of a house that holds a special place in our hearts. Aside from doing our business and taking care of our hygiene. Being a place of importance, you could understand the stress that you would feel for a messy bathroom. Well, here are some easy and simple hacks to improve your bathroom and make it look prettier than it ever was.

Lighting

One thing that people disregard when renovating their bathroom is the lighting. Most of them shrug it off like it was not an essential part of the bathroom. The truth is, it is. A strategically placed window could mean a lot in a bar bathroom. Place windows in places where it would not strike you instead put them in areas where the light would pass through above you.

If you already did the renovating and felt like you made decisions far too late. Then there are still a few things that could help you. And that is mirrors. You need a mirror to look at when you are dolling up or even just finished taking a bath. Now, place that where the sunlight is and viola, instant free light; this also gives your bathroom to shine more rather than to look dull and boring.

Smart Toilet

Nothing says “Fancy” more than a smart toilet. An amazing tool that would help make your life easier and make your guests enjoy their stay and wish they stayed longer. The smart toilet is not only used to feel great. They also have apparent effects on your health and day to day life. Changing the term “doing business” to “feeling pleasure,” a smart toilet can do all the wiping and cleaning so that you do not have to.

Whether it be to impress or to upgrade, a smart toilet can surely make your day.

Aromas

Ever heard of spas and costly treatments that can soothe your mind and your spirit? You have to go to another place for that. What if you can make your spa retreat in the comfort of your bathroom? You heard right. Nothing feels more relaxing than relaxing at home. So go ahead and splurge yourself in aromatic scents and face masks with pickles on your eyes.

Make sure you buy the essentials like some oils and place them somewhere the eye can see. With this, you are sure to fall in love with your bathroom over and over again.

Theme

What comes to mind when you hear the word “Bathroom?” Simple, white tiles and boring for miles. Why not try going for a theme to make your bathroom stand out from the rest?

From colored tiles to wooden seat covers and handles to a garden arranged perfectly in your bathroom, all of these simple hacks can be utilized to make your bathroom different than the rest.

There are so many other ways you can improve your bathroom, giving it the makeover worthy of a 5-star hotel. It is up to you to mix and match these simple hacks to find the right good design and makeovers that would suit you.

Also read: Bathroom space: How to make it your own

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Having a busy lifestyle often have of running out the door the first day in the morning. Avoiding traffic, getting to meetings on time, and aiming for productivity during work is most times the reason why people who are on the go tend to skip healthy breakfast. Most people settle on their usual coffee and toast due to lack of time to prepare their breakfast. You might think this usual breakfast duo is enough to fuel you but think again. The old saying, ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,’ does have its truths and here’s why. 

General Importance of Breaking the Fast

Breakfast got its name from its literal meaning, breaking the fast. It is the meal you take after a long sleep during the night, so skipping it or eating insufficient meals will affect your energy and focus throughout the day. Because it is the first meal you take, it restarts your metabolism allowing you to burn off calories during your day. Also, upon waking up, your blood sugar level is at its lowest and eating the right amount and kind of breakfast help you replenish this low level of blood sugar. Without breakfast, your blood sugar will remain at a low level, causing you to be hungry before lunch which may also encourage overeating or over-snacking on extremely sugary and fatty foods. Yes, like that donut you ate when you came to work.  

Maintains Your Weight

If you are one of the weight-conscious kinds or looking to slim down your waistline, then as easy as eating breakfast will help you get to your goal. Eating breakfast high in fiber, fewer carbs, and more on protein prevents you from getting hungry or craving during the early morning or before lunch. It does not help you lose weight in an instant, of course, you need to partner eating breakfast with a proper weight loss meal plan and following it throughout the day.

Supplies You Energy

The best healthy breakfast meal includes a balance of carbs, protein, and fiber to supply you with energy for your day. Carbs give you that instant zap of energy, while protein serves as an energy source later on, and fiber prevents you from overeating by keeping you feeling full and satiated. You can get these from eating fruit, and vegetables, cereals, healthy morning breakfast shakes like Herbalife Nutritional Shake Mix, nuts, and whole-grain food. If you are the type who has a hectic daily schedule, breakfast is a must.

Balances Your Cognitive Functions

Breakfast supplies you with enough carbs that will boost your brain energy for work or school. Students specifically need to maintain their glucose level to ensure finishing all those schoolwork. Furthermore, breakfast has also proved to boost memory, so the elderly should also be encouraged to eat a balanced breakfast every day.

There you have it. Those are the reasons why you need to make it a habit of eating breakfast on a daily basis. Maintaining this habit also ensures a healthy body in the long run.

Also read: 5 reasons why US potatoes are the best breakfast for kids

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Are you planning for a home remodeling but have no idea what to do or where to start? Well, today is your lucky day! You’ll get to know the hottest trends that you can easily apply to make your home look expensive in no time.

When it comes to home improvements, some of the things you need to consider are style, functionality, layout, and storage. If you want to learn more, keep on reading!

Give Your Walls A Makeover

Painting your walls is one of the easiest ways to transform the look and feel of an area. The best thing about it? The fact that you can try out color and change your mind, later on, won’t be a big problem. Also, painting your walls is a relatively inexpensive way to give your home protection and an instant facelift. Give your walls a pop of color to make a big statement. 

Swap Your Old Sofa With A Modern Lounge

As one of the largest furniture found in your home, and not to mention the most used ones there is, it only fits to splurge on a beautiful sofa you can enjoy using. Think of comfort, style, and choose one that suits your lifestyle. If you want the most relaxed couches, you can always search the internet to provide you with the best sofas perfect for your home. Whether you want a reversible couch or a versatile sofa bed, the internet always got you covered.

Create The Illusion Of A Bigger Space

Bigger spaces give a home a grander feel; this is the reason why most of your favorite stars have beautiful homes with lots of space. If you have a small, you can always do other things to create the illusion of a bigger space. Creating an open layout plan, raising your window treatments, decluttering, and adding mirrors can make your living look bigger than in real life.

Think Of Smart Storage Solutions

We often take for granted our storage areas, only to learn we lack space for this and that. Making the most out of your storage will give your home a more organized look while giving you peace of mind. Take advantage of smart storage tips found all over the internet for every part of your home. This way, you can maximize your space without making unnecessary changes.

Don’t Forget About The Little Things

Old fixtures such as doorknobs, light switch plates, and cabinet handle you’ve had ever since you first moved in are probably outdated by now. Give your home a high-end sheen by changing these inexpensive trinkets on your home. You’d be surprised how the small things that seemed unimportant before can complete the transformation you have always wanted for your home.

Also read: Why you should use a humidifier at home

You don’t have to go overboard to make your home look and feel fancy. By making the right and smart choices, your house will look stylish and expensive looking in no time. Make use of this list of home remodeling tips as a reference, and you’ll surely have a beautiful home you can be proud of after each tip is put into action.

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Colds are the worst kind for me because there is no specific medicine to treat it, specially when the stage is at the worst. Good thing about it, it is easier to manage during the mild stages. I am sharing with you our 3 Tried And Tested Home Remedies for Coughs and Colds.

Home remedy #1 At the first sign of colds or coughs, our pedia recommends using nebulizer to free the mucus. As you catch a cold, one of your body’s defense system is creating a mucus. You need to clear it up so that your breathing won’t be compromised.  If you don’t have a nebulizer, you can also try irrigation. A video below showing you how to to do it. It is also best for babies who does not know how to sneeze.

Home remedy #3 Drink plenty of water and natural juices that are sour. We love taking fresh dalandan juice when we are feeling down due to colds. Tried and tested, a glass or 2 of that juice, makes us better. As much as possible, do add sugar on your juice and avoid eating sweet foods when you are suffering from colds and coughs.

BONUS: It is very important that you do everything to help your body fight the virus by strengthen your immune system. Here are 5 tried and tested ways we do to strengthen our kids immune system: 5 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR CHILD’S IMMUNE SYSTEM

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It is a known fact that one of the significant investments is having a house. However, over the years, this will depreciate. As such, it is crucial that you maintain it in its pristine condition. If you’re a homeowner, don’t neglect any small damages you see. Be on top of repairs and keep your home in its top shape. If you have some extra savings, maybe it’s time for some home upgrade. It will increase your property’s value, as well as, the appearance of your space.

In this article, I have listed three of the ideal areas for home improvement. And you won’t regret it.

Kitchen

A Multi-Functional Oven

In every kitchen, an oven is essential. Just look at all the yummy recipes online, and you will notice that most of them require baking. When preparing a dish, the stove or oven should provide the cook a more comfortable and less complicated way of making and cooking a meal. It can either be range-style or built-in.  Choose the ones that can accommodate a lot of cooking, especially when it comes to family gatherings.

If you have the budget, why not choose a multi-function oven. Just imagine all the defrosting, baking, roasting and grilling that you can do in only one appliance! Plus, there are stylish designs available too.

A Large Kitchen Pantry Cabinet

We’re not talking about an overly huge kitchen pantry cabinet. We’re talking about sufficient space for all the boxes of cereals, spices, herbs, and canned goods that you want to stuff in your cabinet. Say goodbye to all that ‘oh, I can’t buy all of these, they won’t fit in my pantry’ and get that upgrade. 

Give your grocery items enough space. A large kitchen pantry cabinet would be enough for the whole family to put their snacks and ingredients into. Well, if you want to, you can also opt for a walk-in pantry.

Bathroom

Oh yes, the bathroom should be your relaxation area. After all, it’s where you do everything in the morning and before bedtime – definitely playing a crucial part in your life. One thing you can do get a bidet smart toilet. 

What is a bidet toilet?

No. It’s not a “Bodette toilet,” “Bada toilet,” or a “Bouda toilet.” It’s a “Bidet smart toilet.” It’s one of those magical toilets that can do all the work for you. You don’t have to get in there anymore. After using the toilet, it will spurt out a stream of water to clean your bottom. It also has other features like adjustable temperature, feminine wash and so much more! You’ll spend less on toilet paper, too. Thus, contributing to the betterment of the environment. 

Living Room

Last but not least, give yourself the chance to have a spacious living room. For a homey atmosphere, make sure it’s well-lit and always tidy. After all, it’s where your family and friends will often stay. 

And that’s it for the top three places to make some home upgrade. It can be a rewarding experience while increasing the value of your property. 

Also read: Home Remodeling Tips To Make Your Home Look Fancy

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